Pioneer Ford Owners Were Self-Sufficient

by Bob Hagin

October 22, 2001

When I'm in a philosophical mood, I sometimes reflect on how easy it
is to be a motorist today and how difficult and challenging it was for
our ancestors at the beginning of the 20th century. We remotely unlock
the doors of our snug sedans, start their engines with a twist of a key,
slip their gear selectors into Drive and we're on our way.

But it was much more difficult for our forbearers, those who
pioneered "personal" transportation. Almost all of them got their start
at the wheel of Henry Ford's crude but capable Model T, a car that for
many years was available only as a black open-air four-seater "touring
car," or an even more spartan roadster.

Getting a Model T on the road during the decades before and after
World War I was usually an exercise in patience, skill and sheer muscle
power. The steering column-mounted throttle and ignition spark control
had to be set just right, the hand-crank that stuck out from the front
of the simple four cylinder engine had to be positioned for an upward
pull (this avoided a broken wrist in the event of a backfire) and
hopefully the engine would cough into life after a couple of swings of
the handle. The driver then had to dash to the cockpit, reposition the
controls, select low gear via the appropriate foot pedal (there were
three), and be underway.

But it didn't always work quite that easily. The rudimentary
planetary transmission (it used the same basic mechanical technology as
today's automatic) had an unnerving tendency to make the car "creep"
forward until its oil was warm and, if the primitive parking brake
system didn't hold, many drivers found themselves forced to literally
restrain the car from forward motion until they were in the driver's
seat.

If the weather was really cold, some drivers found it necessary to
jack up one back wheel, which allowed it to spin by itself when the
engine started. This necessitated a push-off to get underway.

As the car got older, mechanical "tricks" were sometimes required to
fire up a Model T engine. Several aftermarket manufacturers produced
spark plugs that had small built-in cups and petcocks through which the
driver could pour a small amount of gasoline or benzine directly into
the cylinders. Hopefully just the right amount was added which
alleviated the possibility of cracked piston rings or pistons.

Even everyday driving situations that we take for granted often took
skill and experience when driving those ancient Fords. While the Model T
had exceptional climbing ability due to its good engine torque and light
weight (approximately 1200 pounds), getting up steep hills often took
considerable moxie on the part of the pilot. If the hill was short,
there was no problem, but longer distances caused the engine to
literally run out of gas even if the gas tank had fuel. The problem was
the laws of gravity. The fuel tank on the Model T was located under the
front seat and in order to keep the price of the vehicle as the lowest
possible level, it had no fuel pump and gas was pushed into its
carburetor by gravity. But if the hill was steep and the fuel level was
low, the engine simply ran out of gas. Experienced Model T drivers
overcame this handicap by simply driving backwards up the hill, which
put the fuel tank above the carburetor.

Even checking the fuel level in the gas tank required an exertion of
energy. Driver and passenger had to dismount and its level was measured
by poking a calibrated "stick" into the filler hole and then the stick
was visually checked.

Tires also represented a problem area on all autos of the day. The
wood-spoke wheels of the Model T were semi-permanently attached to the
axles and in the event of a flat tire (a very common occurrence), the
tire and the inner tube were removed, the tube patched on the spot and
the two were remounted on the wheel. The driver then inflated the tire
with a hand-operated pump that was carried in the car.

Tire technology was in its infancy back then and a contemporary ad
for high quality India Tires guaranteed them for at least 8000 miles
before they wore out. To extend the life of "ordinary" tires, Ford
owners were offered an array of boots, inserts and patches that could be
installed by the home handyman.

But to me the most interesting part of Model T ownership was the
hundreds of driving accessories, performance items, agricultural devices
and cosmetic add-ons that were available to its owner. Our all-American
hot-rod industry got its embryonic stimulus from owners who wanted their
50 MPH "Tin Lizzies" to go faster, handle better and look sharper than
the original. Conversion kits were readily available that could make the
versatile "T" into a tractor, saw mill, fire engine, race car and half a
dozen other items that required mobile power.

Time and technology finally caught up with the Model T in 1927 after
an evolutionary run of 19 years. In its early days, it literally put the
average American on the road. In 1925, a basic new Model T roadster
could be had for only $280.

Almost as importantly, it fostered a cultural panache among early
American motorists that they could cope with mechanical adversities and
keep on driving. I wonder how many of us today would endure the
automotive hardships of our ancestors and still keep driving?